Amanda

News on the art show front...

Over the weekend we came to a bit of a roadblock : the landlord of the space we're renting from TRIPLE BOOKED the venue the weekend we have it. He promised it to three different programs. WHO DOES THAT?! So, as one of the curators, I am in charge of figuring this mess out. I talked to the landlord and he suggested that i contact the other group(s) to see if they would be willing to share the space, considering its three floors and they would only be using the first. I called someone from the group and explained the situation. Now Im just waiting for the verdict (if they are willing to share). cross your fingers, please!

Im using this blog to procrastinate writing my artist statement. Im so nervous about it because I basically have to sum up why Ive been making all the art Ive made, what it all means to me and why anyone else should take the time to consider it. That is so much information that i need to 1.)organize and 2.)compile into a 1/2-1 page piece. Its going to be a major deciding factor on whether or not people understand what im doing. Hopefully what they say is right and although its put up with my work at the show, no one really reads it.

gotta start that sucker...

Posted by Amanda at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the last week my class, Foundations of Visual Arts, has been trying to come up with a name for our end of the year show and its really difficult to choose something everyone can agree on. As far as i know, there was a verdict today: fluid exchanges, fresh from the studio. Its quite interesting, id say. The hardest thing for everyone to remember is that the title will show up on our resume so something like, "In Which The Fova Students Display Their Art Next To Jakes" wouldnt work (I voted against this one). I opted for "Kitchen Camp Show", i think it was pretty clever. Other than the name, we're getting the rest of the show sorted out. Wednesday is when myself and three others, as curators, will assess everyones work and choose what goes in the show. It will be a fun and difficult task.

Week 8 is already coming to a close and if i think about it too much i might start hyperventilating. I just wish i had more time to finish everything. I still have to : finish my painting, assemble my duck sculpture, sew a blanket of receipts, make another giant bag, assemble a soft sculpture with my receipts, do something with my plaster molds i keep making and finally, one of the most important things on my list, i need to print AT LEAST two photos by next wednesday.

On a non school related note, this past weekend my roommates and i coordinated a garden party at our house. We decided to build 4x10' raised beds in our backyard so we can have an array home grown vegetables. We invited some friends over, bought 1 ton of soil, found some scrap wood and went at it. It took us all day but we got it done and it was awesome. I started up the barbecue and made everyone dinner. Our house needed to repay everyone for all of their generous hard work. I have to say, i made the most amazing salad dressing ever. It was lemon tahini and it was SO EASY! All i had to do was throw some tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, a little bit of water and salt and pepper into a blender and violas!

Posted by Amanda at 06:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The weather is on the cusp of being absolutely beautiful and springtime-y. Its humid and overcast but still 65*. Tomorrow its supposed to 78* and FRIDAY IS SUPPOSED TO BE 92*! How does that happen????! All i have to say is that i am counting the seconds until i break a sweat outside.

Speaking of sweat, im really starting to feel the heat with the end of the quarter nearing. We, as a class, have decided to finish off our year of hard work with an art show downtown. I have been pushing for this basically all year and its actually going to happen! Its going to be in the vacant spot next to Jakes on 4th and it will be the weekend of week 10. We will also have a show on campus so our work can stay up longer than 2 days. I am on the curatorial comity which means i, along with three other fova beans look through everyones work and choose what goes in the show. Im especially excited about this because i get to put it on my artists resume.

Having an end of the quarter show means we have to finish everything we're working on in TWO WEEKS. oh dear me! I still have 5 projects to finish. Along with art history text to read and a final paper to write. Oh, and an artists statement. But it can all be done. Im not one to brag but i have pretty great time management skills so we'll see if i can pull through.

Posted by Amanda at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After countless hours of hard work and sleepless nights, i successfully completed my first instillation piece. As i have mentioned previously, the theme for my work is Excess and i am focusing on the imagery of plastic bags and receipts.

I made a giant plastic bag. Its huge! 9 feet tall! I took pictures and will post them on here somehow so you readers out there can actually see what all of this talk is about. It is made out of a giant plastic tarp which i measured, cut and heat pressed together. I filled it with about a thousand+ plastic bags i collected from various people and it still wasnt enough to get to the top. I drew the "Thank You for your patronage" onto the front of it and hung it from the ceiling. It came out really really well.

I have never put 100% of myself into as much as i have been lately and its definitely starting to take its toll. Although, today was a great reward so all of that energy should start to turn around in the coming weeks.

Im going home to Las Vegas tomorrow after class to spend mothers day with my father and take a well needed break. Ill be back to the grind on monday at 9am to start the second half of the quarter. Its hard for me to realize that my second year of college is basically over already. How the heck did that happen?

Speaking of time moving fast, its almost june which means i will be going to Israel soon. That is going to be an experience to remember. I have no idea what to expect, not a clue. It will be amazing to see where all of the history ive learned over the years actually took place.

There is more traveling in my future. Starting September 3rd ill be in Florence, Italy studying more studio arts at SACI (Studio Arts Center International) for a semester. It will be absolutely incredible, its going to take a while to sink in that im actually going.

Talking about all of these plans further increases the exhaustion. Recuperation begins...

now.

Posted by Amanda at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)